Germanium is a temperature depressant and forms low melting eutectics in the Cu-Ge system. In the Cu-Ge system the germanium content is currently restricted to about 10 atomic percent because of the difficulty in fabricating foil, containing 10 or more atomic percent of germanium.
The disadvantage of the present techniques is the restriction on the germanium content in the Cu-Ge systems imposed by the inability to fabricate foils of alloys of high germanium content by conventional techniques. The present invention provides thin ductile foils of a higher germanium content in Cu-Ge system than heretofore attainable and enables brazing at temperatures lower than that afforded by foil of a lesser Ge content made by conventional techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,513 discloses a wire product where alloys are represented by the formula TiXj wherein T is a transition metal and X is Al, Sb, Be, B Ge, C, In, P, Si or Sn. The transition metals include metals from Groups IB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB and VIIIB of the periodic table. The patent also teaches that the alloys are partially crystalline but contain at least 50 percent of an amorphous phase. As is apparent from that description, about 280 binary alloys are disclosed and an infinite number of ternary, quaternary, etc. alloys. Specific examples are given to a Pd.sub.77.5 Cu.sub.6 Si.sub.16.5 alloy and a Ni.sub.40 Pd.sub.40 P.sub.20 alloy. The patent also discloses ternary alloys of the formula M.sub.a Y.sub.b Z.sub.c in sheet, ribbon and powder form wherein M is Fe, Ni, Cr, Co or V, Y is P, C or B and Z is Al, Si, Sn, Sb, Ge, In or Be. These alloys also contain at least 50 percent of an amorphous phase and preferably are completely amorphous.